IrishCentral asks should Lance Armstrong be allowed to compete again after doping scandal? - VIDEO

IrishCentral asks should Lance Armstrong be allowed to compete again after this doping scandal?Youtube

Shamed former world champion cyclist Lance Armstrong is beginning his public campaign for redemption this week, with a public apology for using doping to improve his performance.

Armstrong has appeared on Oprah’s channel OWN but chose his words carefully and “did not come as clean” as the host would have liked.

We went to the streets of New York to ask if the public thinks Armstrong should be allowed to compete ever again.

Armstrong has been stripped of his Tour de France titles, among others, he has stepped down as head of the charity organization Livestrong, and is currently doing battle to shorten his lifetime ban from professional sport. When he met with Travis Tygart, CEO of the US Anti–Doping Agency, he was told that he had plenty of chances to come clean and his lifetime ban would not be lifted. However Armstrong seems certain he’ll get back into a professional athletic career.

The folks on the streets of New York seem split on the issue. Some see fit to give Armstrong a second shot saying “everyone deserves a second chance” but added, “I’m a little shattered by it all.” Another man even said, “Well why not? He’s a great athlete.”

Others were not quite as charitable,saying he should never be allowed to resume his career and he should have admitted to his mistakes earlier. One woman said, “He had so many chances to come clean, no pun intended.” Another pointed out that “he has lost the trust of the public and organizations.”

What do you think? Is coming clean eventually enough for Lance Armstrong to deserve a second chance in the field of professional athleticism?